The Story of Gibbs' Coffee Girl
by The Fictionist Aura
Summary: Have you ever wondered how Gibbs gets his perfect coffee every morning? Turns out, he trained someone to do it... Has OC. Series of One-Shots. Has other team members mentioned.
1. Chapter 1

When the new Starbucks located next to NCIS was first finished, I was one of the first to apply for a job. Still in college I was desperate for money and hoped to gain some serious tips from the soon to be regulars of the federal department. The owner hired me on the spot since no one had applied yet…then again the signs weren't even up …which shows I have determination, perfect for a start of an interview.

A flood of NCIS agents came in on the first day but it was the third day that I meet him. My first impression was a bulky no nonsense sort of man with his odd silver haircut and worn hands. As he came closer, I realized he was much older up close and had cold blue eyes. The other worker in the shop, Walter, began to work on his order while I took the order of a short Asian female, a lawyer, I saw from her ID.

Obviously I wasn't paying attention to what Walter was doing but as soon as I had finished and was telling the lawyer the price, I heard a rough male voice start yelling. Turning my head, I saw that the man Walter had been serving was screaming at him over the counter. I was so shocked I didn't even catch the words.

I felt a bill being pushed into my hand and turned back to my customer, giving her the change. She leaned forward as I handed it to her. "You'd better take care of him. That guy yelling over, Gibbs? He's like that every day."

I gave a little nod and gulped as she walked out. Looking back at the memory, the other agents in line had been just as frozen as me, some horrified, others fascinated as if staring at a T-Rex in battle.

"Walter, why don't you take care of the line?" A typical spineless high school junior, he jumped at the chance to escape. I walked tentatively over to the left side of the counter where Gibbs stood fuming.

"How may I help you, Mr. Gibbs?" He didn't seem surprised that I knew his name. "A grande blend with very little sugar, no milk, strong, not weak like that boy just made me." He was more than just a bit cranky.

I nodded and made a fresh batch making it what I considered to be strong. But as soon as he tasted it (before buying) he spat out the words too weak. Very calmly, I put the batch back ignoring his grunts of anger and started on another one making it twice as strong. I let him taste that one from a different cup. He paused. "A bit more sugar." The coffee had calmed him down some.

I brought the sugar jar forward and handed him a clean spoon (our Starbucks didn't have a milk and sugar island, the owner was committed to real service and we were to memorize regulars favorites). I watched and took note of the small portion of the spoon he filled with sugar and placed the jar back as he tasted it. Using this time to look at Walter's progress I saw that he had gotten through several people as I was struggling with one.

When I turned back to Gibbs he gave me a nod and I felt triumphant. "Will you be needing anything else sir?"

"No," he said, better tempered now that he had his coffee. He glanced at my nametag. "Sophie."

"Yep that's me. That'll be-"

But before I could finish, he handed me a ten and walked off. I put the change in the tip box.

When he came the next day, Walter literally shoved me to him and that was the only time I saw a flicker of a smile on his face. Soon the routine every morning was for Walter and the other people that were soon hired to call me down as soon as they saw him. Sometimes he would even ask for me if a person started serving him by accident. He would give his order which was nearly always the same though sometimes he'd ask for more sugar or buy three more regular (extremely weak to him) coffees. I would brew; he would taste then make me do it over until he liked it. After getting the one he wanted he would mellow out and perhaps wish me a good morning while paying. I even remember him saying with a chuckle one rare morning that we should start selling Caf Pow.

(division mabob)

It was a gloomy morning in the city after a pouring of rain the other night and I was the first one to come to work early that day. Seeing a few people standing outside the door I opened up shop and served them by myself. Soon I had finished and no one else seemed to be coming when Gibbs walked in.

But he looked different. His hair was not as tamed as it usually was, his walk was slow and tired, his eyes sad and as he approached, I saw the slight shake in his hands. "The regular and three, no two other coffees." The word two seemed to cut through him which scared me because he always seemed so in control.

"Umm sir perhaps you would like to sit down."

Not saying anything, he sat over by the glass wall and looked outside in deep thought. I completed the order and then made a coffee for myself. By this time I had mastered his coffee so I could get it right on the first try. I hesitated but then grabbed the cookie that I had packed for lunch.

He didn't notice as I walked over to his table and sat down in front of him.

"Mr. Gibbs?"

He turned slowly to me and my heart ached as I looked into his pained eyes. His constant ordering at the shop had given me not only a raise but new found confidence and courage and I pitied him for surely something had upset him.

"Your order." I pushed the three coffee cups in the tray toward him and took a drink from my coffee. I waited for him to take a sip of his own before breaking my cookie in half and offering him a piece. His expression remained the same as he took it from me. He nodded after tasting and murmured the work homemade. I nodded back. The silence that followed was somewhat normal. After all, he wasn't much of a talker.

I finished my coffee and boldly asked if he was alright.

Looking away from the window wall he glanced at me but said nothing for the longest time. "Fine," he finally said, sounding hoarse.

I nodded. "Well," I muttered, getting up from my seat, "I hope you have a good day."

He nodded, his eyes looking at me for real this time. He stood up as well and handed the money for the coffee. I didn't bother to mention that he had automatically paid for one extra coffee. I was heading back to the cash register when he stopped me by grabbing my left elbow. It was the first time he had touched me but I had been so accustomed to his presence it hadn't shocked me.

"Do you need something else?"

"No, but thank you Sophie." I blushed. He had never thanked me before. My eyes widened what he placed a fifty in my hand and said, "For all those tips I never gave."

"Sir, I couldn't possibly-"

'Call me Gibbs. And yes you will take it." Using both of his hands, he closed the bill into my hand.

"That's very generous of you Gibbs but I-"

He leaned forward and kissed my right cheek rendering me speechless.

Without another word, he took his coffees and left.

After that day I refused to take any more personal tips from him but he always thanked me and gave me a kiss on the cheek after ordering his coffee.

AN: In case, you were wondering, the first kiss on her cheek was supposed to be during the episode right after Kate's death. Kind of like he was starting to value the people in his life more and act a bit nicer just like in the episode when he asked the guys if they wanted coffee. I'm considering making this a series of one shots or maybe just making another one shot to go with this (maybe with Abby!) if I get enough reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN - Ok so I might have some hidden written chapters for this story that I have chosen now to post :) enjoy. Also I update slowly so put my stories on alert if you like it.**

But Gibbs didn't always get his own coffee or go alone. Sometimes there was a whole week of different people asking for Sophie to do a Gibbs for them. The first one had been a raven haired goth that waddling around reading nametags. When she read mine she smiled.

"Hey you're Sophie right?"

"Yes.." I said slowly.

"Ok there's this guy that you always serve. He's kind of old but in a distinguished way and he has this luscious silver hair and he has these really nice blue eyes and –"

"Mr. Gibbs?" I tried not to laugh at the thought of his hair been luscious.

"Yeah!" Her ponytails bounces excitedly. "I need the secret formula to his coffee I wanna try and make it and I wanna buy him one for today. Has he come in yet?"

"Nope haven't seen him."

"Ok so show me how you do it." Most of our customers were sitting down eating and since I had gained some respect for always taking care of Gibbs no one complained as I showed her how I made his coffee over the counter. She had pulled out a little black notebook and was taking notes. I had just finished when I saw Gibbs walking in. The goth saw where I was looking and gasped when she saw him.

"Quick hid the coffee!" Feeling childish I stuffed it under the counter.

"Hey Gibbs!" I watched in fascination as she jumped up and gave him a hug. He accepted hugs?

"Abby." He said in greeting. "What are you doing here I thought you hate coffee?"

"Well I'm trying something new Gibbs geez is it a crime?" She turned to me. "Did you finished the coffee I ordered?"

I nodded and handed her the Gibbs cup I had just made.

"Smells strong for you Abby." Gibbs' mouth was twitching.

"Well I like it strong." She then boldly took a sip and tried to contort her face into a smile when you could obviously tell she was lying. "See it's nice and...smooth."

He nodded eyes smiling. "I guess you won't be wanting your Caf Pow then."

Abby looked devastated but nodded. "Yeah not today trying something new. But tomorrow you can get me some!" She then began digging in her purse for her wallet while Gibbs ordered his usual plus a cookie.

I knew exactly who was going to get it.

AN – short and sweet. Reviews are love and cookies for Abby!


	3. Chapter 3

I remember the first time I went into the NCIS building. Gibbs had called Starbucks and requested me on the phone. Walter had picked up and poked me to get my attention. "It's Gibbs," he said in a stage whisper forgetting to cover the receiver. I took the phone. "Hello?"

"I need three of my regulars three other coffees and a...McGee...what's the name of that dessert Abby likes now? One scone."

I laughed. "We only have blueberry scones left I hope you won't mind."

"Yes that's fine."

"When will you be coming in sir?"

He paused. "I can't come I have work. I need you to come down here."

"Ummm sir," I blinked rapidly. "I dont think I can do that."

"You can walk on two legs can't you?"

"Of course I-"

"Then come." He hung up. I sighed knowing he must have been in a bad mood to order three coffees and then hang up on me.

Telling Walter I had to go deliver Gibbs coffee (which he had great objection to but he was scared of the man so he wouldn't stop me) I made his order and walked to the NCIS building. The first thing I had to do was go through security which was very boring. After the search and metal detector, they had to call Gibbs to verify the coffee order. I had a feeling that Gibbs had snapped at the security guard because soon he was giving me directions to the office I needed to get to and shoving me in the elevator with some redhead agent in a suit.

"Getting coffee for the team?" She asked. I had taken off my apron before leaving so I must have looked like an agent.

I didn't answer.

She smiled warmly. "Don't worry I'm sure they'll appreciate it. I know I would."

I nodded meekly behind the coffee cups. She then turned to the doors and sure enough they opened and we both got off at the same floor. A short man walked and greeted her with the word Director. I nearly spilled my coffee.

I meet the director of NCIS. Wow.

On my left, I spotted the top of Gibbs head sitting at a desk yelling at the three people around him. One was the McGee who had a nerd look about him. There was Tony who reminded me of a rich snob and Ziva the only female who was very pretty.

I slowly walked toward Gibbs' desk and no one seemed to notice me. It was only until I was standing in front of him that he stopped yelling. Saying nothing, he grabbed one of coffees from the two trays I was holding and took a giant gulp from it. He calmed down. I was a bit nervous since I had never seen him at work nor yell at so many people.

He stood up and took the trays from my hands putting his on his desk (which had the scone) and the other one on Ziva's. I stood still paralyzed. He turned to me and pulled out his wallet fishing for money.

"I got it boss." The man named Tony whipped out a twenty and a card, slipping them into my open hand. "Keep the change. Home numbers on the back," he said with a wink. I blushed.

Gibbs rolled his eyes as Tony sat back down. I heard a squeal from behind me and found myself being turned around and violently hugged by a black blur. "Hello….Abby." I struggled to say.

"Sophie! I did it! That thing we talked about?" I nodded. Abby and I had become friends after the coffee recipe incident having exchanged emails a few days later.

Gibbs reached for the scone and handed it to Abby. "Thank you Gibbs!" She pounced on him as well.

"It was Sophie." He muttered though her shoulder.

I prepared myself for another hug and got one that nearly knocked me over. "Thank you Sophie!"

"You're welcome." I coughed, trying to breathe.

Abby bite into her scone and the rest of the team was drinking coffee. I began to leave when Gibbs touched my elbow and said a soft thank you in my ear.

I nodded and turned to leave again, certain he wasn't going to give me my regular kiss. But he planted one on my right cheek much to my surprise.

Abby smiled. "He does it to you too!"

AN – Much longer than the last one I hope you liked it! Reviewing will help me write more and not consider abandoning this story…. *writer's blackmail* :)

I apologize for any typos, these new chapters were typed on my ipod touch so small keyboard+11:30PM = many typos. I've tried my best to edit.


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs sometimes came when we were closing up for the day. There was one time when he was particularly exhausted and so was I. It had a busy day and I was dead on my feet. He had came in and ordered two of his regulars. In his hand, I noticed a caffeine free Caf Pow. I mechanically made two coffees for him and took the money without counting, which was against protocol but I was too tired to care.

He murmured a thank you and kissed my left cheek making me jump in sleepy surprise. I had forgotten about it and wasn't prepared.

"You should get some rest." He had already been getting coffee from me for two years and could tell when I was tired.

"I can't." I muttered, a wave of annoyance taking over me.

"Why not?"

"My rental apartments being renovated so I don't have a place to sleep. I need to check in a hotel." I rarely gave out such personal information to anyone but I was frustrated and needed to talk. I gestured toward my two bags of luggage behind the counter. "I didn't have time to book a hotel so I'm scared I'm going to get some bad motel that pays by the hour or be stuck in my car."

"Got friends you can stay over with?" he asked, still looking a tad concerned.

"Most of them are out of town volunteering for girls camp." I grunted irritated at them again. "The only other person that isn't volunteering is Abby and she's busy with a case. She said she would offer me her apartment but it smells like onions after she did a chemistry experiment in her kitchen. Or I could try Tony I still have his number..."

I sighed and then blushed. "I'm sorry that all came out. It's really not my place to go on like that."

Gibbs was eyeing me quietly and I felt embarrassed. Surely he must have thought of me as a whiner. What he said next shocked me.

"You can stay at my house if you need a place to sleep."

"Gibbs," I gasped. "No I –"

"I'll be in NCIS most of the night and no one will be there. You can use the master bedroom since the guest room hasn't been cleaned in a while and there's some food in the fridge." He was already reaching for his key. I quickly grabbed my luggage and began to leave. If I got away fast enough he wouldn't have time to give it to me. I was wrong, of course.

He fiercely got hold of my upper right arm and pressed a key firmly into my hand. "Come, I'll give you directions on your way to your car."

"Gibbs, you don't ha-" I protested again but he firmly shook his head. His eyes made me give in.

He gave me directions to his house as we walked and I tried to memorize them all the while feeling as if I was violating him or something. When we got to my car, he helped me load my luggage and was met with a heavy face licking. Thoroughly embarrassed, I grabbed hold of my dog.

"I'm so sorry! Nancy does that a lot…" He shook his head and let out a laugh. If I wasn't careful, my eyes would have fallen to the ground.

"Take care of yourself ok?" He patted Nancy's head and kissed me on the cheek. I nodded dumbly as he walked away.

AN – I'm in need of ideas for his house…I keep getting stuck on how to describe it…:( any help will be greatly appreciated and mentioned in the next chapter. Please don't forget to put the story on alert I do not update daily! also if you like Gibbs, I have another Gibbs story (humor/action) posted titled "The Joys of Witness Protection with Gibbs" sure to make you laugh I promise ;)...first chapter's hard to read but after that it's better. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – once again, my apologies for my late updates but hopefully that summer is here, my creative juices will kick in and I can get this stories of mine finished. I'm not sure if how many of you guys put this story on alert so I'm going to put this notice up to see and if I get enough reviews to continue, I shall try my best to continue this stories. In fact I'll probably start prepping chapters now but I need reviews to know that people are reading so please just take a second to review otherwise this story may go under the complete status. And if this ends up being my last update, I thank you all for reading, I really do.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N – Less than an hour of posting my author's note and I got several reviews to continue. Honestly I'm surprised, I thought my other Gibbs story would get more reviews but apparently you guys like this one better. :) re-reading previous chapters, I realize I had outlined this to be a series of one-shots yet this chapter is slowly turning this into a story. I'll try to stay in the one shot type zone though – various stages of Gibbs' life and having Sophie learn more and more about him. Also, credit to Julie507 for helping me out with the house description.

It was beyond strange, pulling up into a foreign driveway with a key to the house it belonged to. I popped open the car door, fiddling with the keys in one hand as I stood still. It was a Craftsman house, a typical home for a new and growing family or a retired couple. I scanned the exterior with my eyes, trying to picture Gibbs living here. Nancy's short bark from her seat in the car woke me out of my trance. Taking a deep breath, I helped her out of the car and headed for the stained glass front door. My fingers traced the ornate pattern of deep colors as I unlocked the door and took my first step inside. Nancy immediately busted into the living room and disappeared into the back of the house.

"Nancy!" I quickly locked the door behind me and raced after my dog. I found her whining with her wet nose pressed against a glass door leading to the backyard. Immediately, I tugged at the wooden handle of the door and watched her blot outside, sniffing the ground intently. I sighed. "It's not even my house and you decide to do your business here." She ignored me of course and continued sniffing around the yard. Pulling out one of the doggie bags I always kept in my purse for moments like this, I stepped off the carpet and onto the grass. Glancing around, I noticed some flower beds nearby and carefully examined them. They were surprisingly thriving considering who was probably taking care of them. In fact, the entire yard was clean and well-kept. Somehow I couldn't picture Gibbs tending the area and made a mental note to ask if he had a gardener.

Once again, Nancy's bark brought me out of my thoughts and wrinkling my nose, I picked her business up and headed back inside into the kitchen. She trotted close behind, pausing to sniff the various kitchen appliances. Dropping the bag into the trash, I couldn't help noticing how bare the kitchen seemed to be. A single pot on the stove, a coffee maker (no surprise there) and no sign of a toaster. The fridge was similar, only housing some beers, a slab of steak, several water bottles and an old Chinese takeout carton. I picked out the carton and glanced inside. Chow mien.

After checking all the cabinets, I managed to locate a fork to eat the old takeout with and indulged myself accordingly. After that, I reached for a bowl from the cabinet to my right and filled it with water for Nancy, who was now lying on the sofa in the living room. Next to her was my entire luggage haul I had managed to single handedly drag into the house from my car. Tossing the now empty carton into the trash, I had the chance to study my surroundings.

The whole place gave off a cabin house in the woods sort of charm, a musty smell throughout the whole house. There was a bare minimum of furniture and most of it looked from either the 70s or the 80s. The sofa Nancy was lying on was placed at a right angle to the now lighted fireplace. I approached the bookcases, which was next to said fireplace and glossed over the titles. _Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet. "_Hardly novels a man would read," I muttered, stroking the spines. I wondered if he had a wife.

It had become fairly obvious once I had gotten to know the team more than no one really knew about the man's private life. If Tony knew what I was doing now, he'd probably head right over here with a camera, flashing it on every inch of décor. Over the lapse of time I had known the group, never once was I informed of a significant other Gibbs had where as I knew a whole list of Tony's significant others, there being more than one for every letter in the alphabet. I drew my index finger across the edge of the shelf and looked at my fingertip. Clean.

Absent – mindedly, I continued to run my finger along the book spines until suddenly I touched something cold and jerked back. Sitting on the right side of one of the shelves was a small safe. I glanced around, making sure he wasn't arriving any time soon. Carefully, I took the safe off of the shelf and hesitated before giving it a light shake. There was a dulled rattling from within which gave no clue as to what was inside.

Abruptly I was overcome with a sense of shame. Here I was in another person's house they had so trustingly let me into and here I was acting like a mid-aged nosy neighbor. I put the safe back and took my luggage down the hallway, determined not to look around at anything else as I headed for what looked like the master bedroom. However, in the center of the bed was a face-down rectangular picture frame. It looked as if it had been thrown there carelessly.

I picked it up, turning it over to see a smiling trio in the frame. There was a lone man in the photo who had a strong resemblance to Gibbs except for one thing: the pictured Gibbs had a joyful spark of life in him that radiated right off the frame. I had yet to see the current day Gibbs even close to that content. He had his arms wrapped around a beautiful redhead woman and a young brunette girl, around the age of six. Frowning, I placed the frame upright on the nightstand, feeling as though I had spied on a private family moment. Nancy flopped onto the bed, obliviously to my curiosity at the photo. Perhaps, I thought as I lazily striped to my undershirt only and joined my dog on the bed, I could get my answers tomorrow.

A/N – Next chapter will have Gibbs in it, I promise. Also, I am extremely rusty in the writing department since I haven't written in a while so any criticism is encouraged! There are probably some typos in here somewhere that I didn't catch so sorry about that. Hope you like it – I just always wanted to write about exploring his house. Hopefully I can edit a little story cover for this :) Reviews are love.


	7. Chapter 7

My inside of my eyelids shined a bright orange as the morning light filled the room and I groaned. I had no wish to remove myself from this comfortable oasis of cotton sheets. Rolling over to the left end of the bed, my hand reached out blindly for a clock of sorts. My nose was buried into a pillow that had an aroma of sawdust and Old Spice. Suddenly my eyes shot open and I remembered where I was. The red lights on the old alarm clock blinked 6:13 A.M. repeatedly. Hastily putting on a pair of sweatpants from my luggage, I shuffled my way down the hall and into the kitchen, not bothering to brush my teeth.

"Coffee," I mumbled, operating the old coffee maker I had spotted yesterday and dumping two spoonfuls of coffee grind I had found hiding in a bottom cabinet. The hiss of the fresh coffee dripping was welcome in the overall silence of the house. "Nancy?" No answer. I guessed she must be roaming somewhere in the house. I waved my hand to my non- existent audience. "I'll find her later."

My eyelids drooped. It was rather peaceful here. If I hadn't known better, I would think I was in the middle of the woods, miles away from civilization on a retreat. It was the complete opposite of the normal hustle and bustle of the Capitol. My fingers drummed on the mismatched black mug I had found, the words "Number 1 Boss" painted in bright yellow on it. I traced the letters. No doubt a gift from Tony or Tim. It didn't seem Ziva's style.

The coffee maker shrieked a high note, signaling the coffee was done. I pour the dark brown liquid in my mug that already had a pile of sugar sitting at the bottom. There was no milk in the fridge so I found myself sipping black coffee.

I coughed and gagged at the bitter taste on my taste. It was as if I had swallowed pure coffee beans. Abandoning the mug on the corner, I took to the sink to thoroughly rinse out my tongue. Obviously Gibbs' blend was too strong for normal consumption. Minorly annoying but fully awake now, I headed back to the bedroom and went to brush my teeth in the nearby bathroom. Splashing water on my face, I noticed the mirror medicine cabinet and peeked inside. There was Old Spice, a cheap brand of deodorant, shaving cream and razor as well as some spare toothpaste. I took a tube and squeezed some of the white substance onto my brush. As I brushed, I couldn't help looking around. There were no decorations on the walls except for a single frame crayon drawing. It hang directly behind and depicted three stick figures sitting on what look like a poorly drawn picnic blanket with red and white checkers. Two of the figures had brown scribbles for hair while the other had bright orange lines on either side of its face. Spitting into the sink, my mind flashed back to the framed photo on the nightstand.

I walked back to the kitchen, this time planning to drink water for the sake of my taste buds. I reached over for the mug of coffee to dump the far too strong coffee down the sink. My hands reached at nothing. The mug was gone.

My stomach instantly knotted and I spun around nervously. _I probably just emptied it out automatically…right? _ "Nancy?" I shouted, feeling the need for some canine protection. There was a muffled bark but not from the location I was expecting. It sounded like it was coming from below the house. I shook my head in confusion. Suddenly aware of the fact that I was indeed alone in a strange house, I took a knife from one of the kitchen drawers and began walking toward the sound of the bark I had just heard. Nancy barked again, ending the sound in a whine. My heart hammered in my chest.

This time I could tell it came from a door passed most of the bedrooms and toward the back of the house. Hesitantly, I opened the door slowly, revealing an old wooden staircase. My head popped in and I found myself looking at the huge skeleton of a boat. Gibbs was seated on its right side, sanding something down based on the scratching noises I heard. Nancy was at his feet, looking at me and wagging her tail in excitement. The coffee mug from earlier was resting on a stool nearby.

I carefully went down the stairs; they creaked with every step. It was only when I reached the bottom that Gibbs finally lifted his head and nodded to me. "Morning," He said shortly. His eyes flickered from my face to the knife in my hand.

I blushed, realizing how I must look. "I…um," I stepped forward and set the knife down next to the mug. "I thought you might still be at NCIS…" my voice trailed off and I pressed my hands to my red cheeks.

He slowly rose up from his seat and made his way to the stool with the mug. Raising it to his lips, his eyes twinkled a bit. I had a sense he was amused. "Thanks for the coffee."

A/N – I struggled writing this but ah well. It needed to be done xD kinda short and choppy - sorry. Anyways, if you guys had any episodes you might like to see featured in this story, let me know! So far I only have Requiem in mind so please share your thoughts :) Also I left the breed of Nancy up to your imagination on purpose, unless you want me to give her a breed and such. Reviews are love.


	8. Chapter 8

I still had my suspicions about Gibbs' past, the happy picture of the trio on my mind occasionally. I was curious about his loss. Pitied him even. Once I tried to get Abby to tell him but she had been firm in her resolution to take the secret to her grave.

"He has to tell you!" She had exclaimed, barely drowning out the techno racket booming in the background of the cell phone reception one night. She had spent the last hour or so complaining about Agent McGee and his trying to 'make her his'. Somehow the ranting on and on about his advances had swung around to Gibbs. How we got on the subject, to this day, I cannot recall.

"What am I going to do, ask him?" I grumbled. A part of me felt guilt for wanting to pry. A part of me felt guilt for wanting to pry. Yet this man had been nothing but friendly and helpful (once he had his coffee of course) to me. The only solid thing I knew about him was his name and that he liked coffee and doing woodwork. I could easily get the same information from any other cordial coffee costumer in minutes through small talk as served them. In Gibbs' case, I had collected this information over the course of years.

"Yes! He likes you. If there's anything I've learned, it's that coffee and good forensic evidence are the keys to Gibbs' heart." She sounds so serious I couldn't help but laugh.

A few days later, I had been scrubbing down some of the coffee tables in the shop after giving Gibbs' one of his regulars. We were fairly busy as it was morning rush hour. Most people in line were chatting away on their cell phones and almost all the people seated at a table had a laptop in front of them. Except for Gibbs. On this rare occasion, he was sitting down and drinking from his cup in a left corner table. I spotted a newspaper on his left, a pair of old-fashion looking glasses perching on top. His attention was not on the newspaper or the window he was facing. Instead, his eyes were locking on a father and daughter waiting in line. I glanced at them.

The light brown haired father was dressed in a business suit and like half of the city, has blabbing away on a Bluebooth like there was no tomorrow. He loosely held his daughter's left hand with his right. She wore a bright yellow dress, a Dora backpack, a simple ponytail and had the look of a six year old. Most likely, she was being dropped off to school before her dad went to work.

"Daddy…" She was softly whining, pulling at her father's pant leg for at least three minutes now.

Finally, her parent looked down at her, annoyed. "What, Rachel? Can't you tell Daddy's busy?" He whispered down to her, covering his Bluebooth with a tip of his finger.

"Can I have an oatmeal cookie for my lunch?" The child smiled meekly. Her feet shuffled in their Velcro strapped sandals as she asked.

"No." His answer was too sharp for a six year old. He gave her hand a light jostle. "We are getting my coffee and leaving. Daddy needs coffee to get him through the day. You," his index finger jabbed at the air near her, 'don't need a cookie to get through school. You need carrots and celery. You are being very selfish." He half spat before returning to his rapid fire conversation with his colleague. From what I gathered before, he had been complaining about his boss.

Needless to say, the girl was saddened. Her lower lip trembled and her blonde ponytail shook a bit but she did not cry or have a tantrum. She had the perfect look of a defeated kid.

I shook my head but returned to scrubbing tables with a new vigor. All she wanted was a cookie, my maternal side thought. If you really didn't want to buy it for her, you could have just said something like 'Not now' instead of call her selfish. Or going on about health, after all, she had asked for an oatmeal cookie. Of all the cookies to choose from. The table's feet rattled underneath me as I continued scrubbed the same spot in a circle.

Two tables later, I heard a familiar voice murmur "Could help hearing that someone wanted a cookie." Immediately I looked up to see Gibbs kneeling in front of the little girl, an oatmeal cookie held out in offering. The father looked taken back before smiled briefly.

"That's kind of you, sir," The business man nodded, struggling to be nonchalant. If anything, he looked a tad embarrassed. A few people were looking at Gibbs, eyes lit up in silence approval.

The agent only had eyes for the girl who has hesitating to take the cookie. "But it's yours." She looked confused.

"I'm giving it to you." His voice had a soft quality I had never heard before. "Will you take it for your lunch?" Her little hand slowly took the cookie from his callused ones. She smiled, looking from the cookie to him.

"Thank you." Gibbs just nodded before rising back to his feet. I couldn't help noticing that it looked like a bit of a struggle.

"Eat it after lunch, Rachel," the father light remained his daughter before turning to Gibbs. "You know how kids are, spoiling their meals." He waved his hand as he talked.

Gibbs' face had a flash of sadness as he replied. "I know."

I blinked. So he had a child. Once.

**A/N- This just came to me when I saw a GIF set for the episode titled See No Evil. Originally I was planning this as a one shot separate from this story but then this happened. I might also post it separately, maybe from Gibbs' view. Not sure yet. Would anyone be interested? Reviews are love. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Gibbs turned the doorknob and let out a small breath as he entered his home. It had been a day without a case and he had more than a touch of restlessness about him. He preferred to have a case to work on and think about rather than to be reminded of his own lack of a life. Not that he minded, of course. He relished it for the most part. Still it did not do good to dwell on it too long. It tended to bring back memories.

_Scratch _

_Scratch_

_Scraaaatch_

Immediately Gibbs had his gun out, a steely look taking over his features. His entire body had grown tense and a small vein in his neck was more pronounced than before. The sound was coming from the back of the house. He treaded lightly down the hallway, pausing at every doorway with his gun in front of him. The agent had the urge to shout clear even though he was alone in his endeavors. Old habits, he guessed.

Finally, he made his way to the master bedroom, which was empty. A light layer of dust hung over a dresser in the corner. It didn't appear as though anyone else had been there. But the noise continued, closer and louder now.

_Scratch_

_Scratch_

Gun still drawn, he approached the sliding glass doors that opened up to his backyard and swiftly opened the blinds.

Two pairs of beady eyes looked back at him expectantly. The gray and white Italian greyhound wagged its tail vigorously as Gibbs pulled open the slightly ajar door. Her pointed nose poked inside and her tongue didn't stop licking his hand until she was standing in front of him.

"Nancy…." The dog's head tilted to one side and its ears popped up a bit in attention.

"How did you get in here?" He glanced at the fence in his yard. It was rather tall for a dog to scale, even a greyhound as big as Nancy. And though the front door was unlocked, he had yet to see a dog lock itself outside before. Then again, Leroy didn't know that much about dogs. Shannon had always pestered him about getting a guard dog but he had always replied 'you've already got one' while pointing to himself.

He headed back for the kitchen. Naturally, Nancy followed him, trotting happily as if she had lived her all her life. In truth, it had only been one night but by the looks of things, the greyhound liked the house a bit too much. She had curled up into a C shape as she watched the man fill a bowl with water and set it before her. She nudged it with her snout.

Gibbs let a sound between a cough and snort. "Drink." He used the voice he reserved for the team during his many times of short temper. Lazily, the dog flicked her tongue in and out of the bowl, taking care not to move from her all too comfortable position. Meanwhile, Leroy glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was nearly midnight. Something told him that as much as Sophie loved her canine companion, she probably could wait until morning. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the after math of the small adrenaline rush from a couple minutes ago. He needed sleep. And maybe some whiskey.

Lapping sounds of tongue against water didn't stop as he sauntered off to the basement, an idea for a new project on his mind. Looking over at the different slab of wood available to him, he felt calm. This was his sort of therapy. Doing something productive with his hands, being bathed in sawdust every night. In some ways, it was his custom lullaby. It only failed him during times of true grief, Kate's face automatically swimming in his mind. He shoved it away, his breathing hitched at the memory.

Once he picked some wood for the job, he became the long process of sanding every inch. By the time, he had noticed the greyhound coming down the stairs, his hands had a thin coat of white powder on them already. Nancy inched toward him, nose moving up and down at the different scents. Sawdust. Alcohol. Faded shampoo.

Gibbs chuckled as the dog gave his hand yet another lick before sneezing. A small cloud of dust burst from her snout .

"It's your own fault, really." Nancy let out another sneeze before lying down in front of his feet, her head resting on his shoe. He could feel her breathing as she relaxed, utterly content with her surroundings. Leroy shook his head. He had to admit, it was different, talking to someone who didn't answer back with words. Someone who didn't mind silence.

He went back to sanding the wood with new energy. Maybe he needed a dog.

**A/N** – **I was watching Animal Planet and saw an Italian greyhound xD then this happened. Plus I needed some practice – this is my first time trying to write from Gibbs' POV. How did I do?**


	10. Chapter 10

After stifling his fifth yawn, he decided it was time to call it a night. In truth, it was how he usually went to sleep at night. There was never a need for a clock in the basement since he went to sleep when he needed to. Nancy was, by then, lightly snoring onto of his shoe. The warm weight had been different from the cold chill Gibbs had grown accustom to. He dragged himself up off his work bench and gradually made his way up the stairs. Nancy let out an annoyed huff at her new found pillow being pulled from under her but dutifully trotted after the man.

It was strange having noise in the house. Heavy panting seemed to echo through the walls next to his odd shuffle. As the years went on, the agent tried not to notice how his walk slowed and how finger aches became common place. The dog sat impatiently at the door of the guest bedroom.

"You think you own the place, don't you?" Her tail thumped happily at the question. Gibbs rolled his eyes before continuing down the hall to his own room. He held the door open for Nancy before sitting down the edge of the bed. Rubbing his eyes, Gibbs reclined carefully into the old mattress, shoes and all. He had never been one for pajamas. Not after he began sleeping alone. He didn't lie to himself and say he was lazy or too tired to change. He simply didn't have a reason to anymore. Maybe he would…one day. He blinked painfully. It was too late to be thinking this way. There was a loud creak and he bounced up slightly from his comfortable position. He turned around the glare at Nancy, who had decided to accompany him to bed. The hound just blinked innocently before resting her head on the pillow beside him. He vaguely remembered falling asleep with a smile.

~~NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS~~

Gibbs groaned, the sunlight from sunshine blinding him. He could feel Nancy's tongue thoroughly bathing his arm in slobber. "Off," he growled, pulling his arm away. A minute later, he was making his daily trek to the coffee maker, a firm frown plastered on his face. His hands mechanically began making a batch as his thoughts wandered.

Shannon had told him more than once that he had a serious caffeine addiction. Truth be told, he had stealing sips of his father's coffee at the age of five. Later on, he suspected his old man knew. Jackson had always known to down his mug of black joe in one gulp. However, by the time he was seven, his father had developed a routine of making coffee, finishing half of it and then going off to do some shop errand, usually sweeping. And he never showed any surprise when he returned to a quarter cup of coffee left. Once Leroy was in his early teens, Jackson would return to an empty cup. It was then he was allowed to have his own cupful, despite his mother's disapproval.

The aroma of fresh coffee pulled him back to earth and his entire body leaned toward the maker. "Coffee addict," he murmured to himself as he poured it into a gift Abby had given to him three years ago. It was a dull silver metal travel mug that rarely used ever since he had meet Sophie at Starbucks. Today, however, he would be heading to her home to drop off her stubborn dog.

He whistled for her as he approached the door, car keys in one hand, mug in the other. Gibbs heard her nails scrapping against wooden stairs before she emerged from the basement. After a violent sneeze, she run and collapsed on the living room sofa. Nancy curled up and shut her eyes, completely ignoring the feeling of frustration oozing from the human in the room.

"Nancy…get in the car."

The canine was quiet as a mouse.

"Nancy…." Gibbs took a slow sip from his mug, willing himself to return his friend's dog in one piece. "Get in the car….NOW."

It was as if someone had poked her with a pitchfork. The greyhound sparked to life and blotted out the door. The ex – marine couldn't help chuckling as the dog sit down next to his car in the driveway, the picture of obedience. He opened the front door of his car and nodded. Nancy climbed over the driver's seat and settled into the passenger seat in no time. Shaking his head, he took the driver's seat and started the car. "How does she live with you…"

~~NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS~~

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to remember where to turn. It had been a while since he dropped Sophie back at her apartment from staying the night. It was true – she hadn't let him see much of the inside. In fact, she almost refused to let him lift a finger to help her anymore than he already did. It took at least six minutes for him to convince her to let him carry some of her luggage upstairs. Even then, she had given him a quick hug before dashing into her apartment. He remembered the rapid click of the lock and some shuffling. Nancy had been fairly calm at the time, lying down near his feet eyeing the door. After a few more minutes, Sophie burst through and grabbed the bags from him before disappearing back into her apartment beet red. Somewhere in the mix, the dog had snuck in. He had stood there a few seconds, staring the closed door in front of him. Never had he seen her so uncomfortable and that included the time Dinozzo was openly flirting with her.

"There." Spotting the complex, he made a sharp turn into the parking lot and scanned the area. It was a typical apartment complex with two story buildings scattered throughout the land. There was a small public pool in a corner and from his window; he could make out two children paddling underwater. Nancy's tail was wagging at a faster pace now, her head turned back to him in anticipation. Gibbs turned off the car and took a deep breath before stepping out of the vehicle. The dog followed him closely. Not the first time, he wondered what had brought the dog to his humble household this morning. Gibbs walked into the lobby with a new sense of purpose, a spark of worry in his eyes. Different thoughts flickered in his mind as he jogged up the stairs to the second floor. The dog reached Apartment 212 before he did, sniffing under the door. Gibbs hesitated before firmly knocking on the white door.

"Sophie? It's Gibbs."

Silence.

"Sophie?"


	11. Chapter 11

It took two seconds for his instincts to kick in. He kicked the door in one, his hand hovering over his gun holster. Instantly, he realized that the door had been open and another alarm bell went off in his head. Nancy's tail had tucked under her legs at the loud bang of the door being ripped off its hinges. His eyes scanned the apartment feverishly.

Gibbs first took note of a single coffee mug sitting on the kitchen counter. Other than that, there was no sign of life in the area. It was a cozy space with a modern concrete ceiling. A leather sofa with spotless upholstery and an unfeeling coffee table. There were two skyscraper windows on either side of the far wall. Bright and blinking sunlight poured into the room. The walls were bare and a bright and eccentric yellow, something he would not expected Sophie. In a lower right corner, hand – painted blue flowers were lazily drawn. It had the look of a kindergarten's work but it had the steadiness of a grown artist. He squinted his eyes, the bright color burning his retina.

The apartment was pristine, almost as if it had been recently cleaned. Either no signs of a struggle or someone had cleaned it up very well. He felt a small tinge of anger at the thought. Aiming his gun with his motion, he turned left toward a short hallway. It was littered with photo frames – all of which had a smiling picture of Sophie in them. He scanned them briefly, seeing no signs of blood spatter. The first door to the left was a pint sized bathroom. The glass shower door was open and the floor mat askew. Gibbs narrowed in on the open toothpaste and the toothbrush lying in the sink. The faucet was still dripping.

Two feet away was a wide open door into what looked like the young woman's bedroom. Once again, no sign of life other than himself and the cautious dog that shadowed him as he went. The sheets had been left tossed open and there was an alarm clock lying on the ground. The twin bed took up most of the room's space. Gibbs was forced to climb over it to check the closet. Sophie's clothes hung neatly, color coordinated – shoes included. There was a guitar case resting the corner and a neat of notebooks next to it. No one hiding inside. The special agent frowned as he climbed over the bed once more. All of the evidence in the apartment seemed to say that Sophie had left the premise in a hurry. Yet if it was an emergency, he was certain she would have brought Nancy with her – of that he was sure. Different scenarios ran through his mind, none very pleasant. His eyes wandered to her nightstand. Other than a lamp and a spot where the alarm had obviously sat, there was a framed photo. In it, a younger looking Sophie and an older woman were laughing on a kitchen counter. Neither of them was looking towards the camera but it was still a beautiful picture.

"Nancy?"

The dog shot up in attention at Sophie's faint voice. Her nails scrapped noisily against the hardwood as she scurried off to meet her master. Gibbs felt a sudden wave of relief come over him. She was safe. His hands automatically put his gun away and he walked toward the hallway slowly.

Sophie squealed as the dog jumped on her chest. "Nancy, down…DOWN!" But her tone of voice did nothing to stop the greyhound from licking her face clean of makeup.

And that was how Gibbs found Sophie. Sprawling on the floor under several pounds of dog. He smiled briefly before leaning down to pry the overly – eager dog away. Sophie gasped at him. Her hands immediately rose up to her chest.

"Gibbs?! How did you – "

He couldn't help raising an eyebrow at her sudden posture. Not answering right away, he offered a hand to help her up. After an unhealthy pause, she took it and bounced right side up with a piercing clack. Surprised at the sound, Gibbs glanced downward at her feet. She wore open toed high heels that stressed her leg muscles. Her toes were painted a promiscuous red. Travelling upward, her hesitation made a bit more sense. Sophie was dressed very unlike anything he had seen her in before. Usually she wore (when not in her Starbucks uniform) jeans or pants and modest tops. And never heels – always flats or sneakers. However, today, she was dressed in an angular short white skirt that was very close to underwear height. On top, a slick black top with fishnet shoulders. Her black bra would have been very visible to him had Sophie not still been hugging herself, shielding her chest. Her hair was still tousled from her being of the floor. Had he not known her, he could see her easier passing for one of Holly Snow's girls.

"Nancy showed up at my house last night. Figured I'd return her before she chewed up my living room."

Sophie shifted her weight foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable. She had smiled shortly at the comment but the smiled faded just as quickly as it came. Slowly, her eyes widened and her face turned red in realization.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!" She exclaimed, eyes blinking rapidly in alarm. "I must have rushed out and left the door open or something. I was in such a hurry yesterday to make it to the gig." She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes in frustration.

"She didn't really eat anything, did she?"

"No." Gibb's small amusement came out in his voice.

Her heels clicked as she headed over to the kitchen sink, eyes open and hands fumbling with the edge of her shirt. Her back was to Gibbs. He saw her shoulders relax at the new position.

"I thought someone had broken in, with the door off its hinges and all." She took a shaky breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "I'm so sorry – I'm just not used to such frights." The coffee girl let out a laugh and turned to face him.

"You and your agents - this is probably a walk in the park for you. " She was hugging her sides again.

"The door was me," the older man looked a bit sheepish. He also had not moved from his spot in the room. Sophie could see sympathy in his eyes though. He seemed concerned for her.

"What 'gig' had you in such a hurry to leave?" His eyes were still concerned though now laced with wariness. The woman gulped at his sudden seriousness.

**AN: Annnnnnd couple months later and one update – YAY! xD hope you guys like it – I plan to have the next chapter go back to Sophie's point of view. Left you guys a bit of a cliffy :3 I think you will be very surprised where this goes next. Muhahaha – misleading foreshadowing…or is it?**

**If you want to see her outfit, check out my profile – the link below "****For links described in my stories, please visit this Tumblr post."**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: This is mainly Sophie centric chapter **

The feeling in her belly reminded her very much of getting caught leaving the house without permission back in her teen years. Sophie used to have the nasty habit of climbing the fence of their gated community to attend local concerts with friends. Nowadays of course, she was an independent woman. Yet she could feel Gibbs' stare in her back just like her father used to. Her clothes certainly weren't helping the situation. Still hugging herself, she found herself shrugging and looking downward as she answered.

"One of the bars I was interested in performing for called me and begged for me to come and fill in for a cancellation – it's the first one I've had in months and to be honest I just scrambled and ran out the door. They called me an hour before the assigned time. Not exactly professional but…I was eager to please…" Suddenly embarrassed at her own admission, she clattered over to her cup shelf and began to needlessly rinse an old mug.

Gibbs tried his best to mask his surprise. "You never mentioned being a musician before." He had a vague idea that she was – if only from a few glances at a guitar case and her sometimes unconscious habit of tapping out song beats when the radio was on. It was clear to him now that she had a passion for it.

"It's not something I go around announcing. It's more like an unrealistic dream of mine." The sink ran over her bright red nails. After a pause, she turned off the water and turned to face him, glass still in hand.

"And the outfit?" Anyone who didn't know the agent well enough would call his expression unfathomable. However, the coffee girl could sense a bit of disapproval and she bristled a little.

Walking towards her bedroom with a stab in her step, Sophie threw her voice over her shoulder. "Well, I was going to a bar, wasn't I?" In reality, she had a feeling he wouldn't be caught dead in such a place. It had a youthful club atmosphere which she suspected DiNozzo would appreciate. And perhaps Ziva as well. The sort of bar she imagined the bar Gibbs would frequent involved old tavern swinging doors, old cowboy boots and shots of hard liquor. With each man in the room equipped with a holstered gun.

Meanwhile, Jethro had wisely chosen not to answer her snappy retort. He didn't need to be a genius to see that Sophie was a bit upset. She slammed her bedroom door rather than closed it and even Nancy jumped at the noise. He could hear the young woman opening and closing drawers in haste, probably looking for clothes to wear. With Nancy trotting behind him, he lowered himself into the leather sofa and then stifled a grunt. The piece of furniture was solid, stabbing his back like a piece of plywood.

A few minutes later, Sophie patted back to the living room. An oversized black sweatshirt reached below her knees and contrasted sharply to her white sweatpants and bare feet. Her finished toenails mismatched with her overall lounge look. As she lazily put her hair in a ponytail, she glanced at him with mild annoyance. Quite frankly, she wore the outfit to draw attention to herself. Being an unknown artist, performing in bars – while a good way to start – usually just meant singing to drunks. Unless you do something to make them listen – this was why there was a small section of her waredrobe that no one could pay her to wear during daylight. In addition, the scantily made clothing made her feel…empowered. Sexy.

Perhaps her rattled and angry response to the agent's very brief radiation of disapproval was due to that it hit too close to home. Her mother had been very heavily against her dream to create music as a career or even as a hobby. During her teenage years, there was one instance where her mother had literally thrown her guitar on the floor and broke it in frustration. Since then, their relationship crumbled and Sophie hadn't heard from her for several years. Her father, on the other hand, tended to support her in whatever she chose to do. While he was not fond of her clothing choices for her performances, he would always ask her how her latest gig went when she called. Blinkingly twice, she pulled herself out of her thoughts. She was being far too sensitive.

Gibbs tilted his head slightly, his eyes locked on the damaged door. Sophie followed his gaze and cracked a small smile. "I should probably get that fixed."

He chuckled before getting up from his rock like seat. "Leave it." As her face scrunched up in a confused frown, Gibbs gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before patting Nancy on the head. With a few strides, he was out of the door and down the hallway.

Unconsciously, she shook her head. She spent the next hour or so double - checking that none of her possessions were missing. The apartment complex was safe enough, single parent households mainly but she figured it better to be safe than sorry. She had been opening her nightstand drawer when Nancy blotted from her lazy bed spot and out of the room. Puzzled, Sophie followed the canine out to the main living area. The greyhound had rearranged herself on the floor next to the door where Gibbs was diligently attending to her front door. A new door was prompted against an interior wall.

"…you bought me a new door."

The silver head bobbed upward. "Yeah."

"Gibbs, you bought me a new door I can't –"

"Yes you can." Turning back to the nail he was unscrewing, his tone left no room for negotiation.

Sophie put her hands on her hips and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Don't you have some coffee to go make?" The jest in his voice was obvious and Sophie couldn't help but giggle.

"Yes and you're not getting any."

**AN: I struggled with this argggggh sorry. But yay update! I'm determined to make next chapter based on a NCIS episode so we will see. **


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Back to Sophie's POV**

Abby never called.

At least unless we were meeting up somewhere and couldn't see each other which in reality didn't really make sense considering Abby's stand out fashion sense. Even then, it always started with a standard text of "where are you girl?"

So when the goth called at 4:30 in the morning, I was naturally a little alarmed.

"Hello?" No doubt, my voice sounded a little sketchy. I cleared my throat on instinct.

"It's G-Gibbs…" Abby's voice sounded even sketchier than usual, almost as if she had been crying.

I sat upright in bed and turned my hair behind my ear. "Abby, what's going on, are you alright?" Is Gibbs alright, I subconsciously wondered.

"He's in a coma. He was investigating a ship and – there was an explosion and I went in to see him and he looked bad, like his face was burnt and he had no expression I mean he normally doesn't have that much of an expression except for a little twinkle in his right eye and that mouth twitch he does wh-"

"Slow down Abby," I began rubbing my head, trying to take in at least half of the jumbled monologue. "Gibbs is in a coma?"

"Yeah," there is a loud sniffle that came through the line.

"…I'll be over in a few." Hanging up, I stretched my legs out off of the bed, hearing them pop from being still for a few hours. Ignoring my two yawns in a row, I made my way down the hall for what turned out to be a very long night.

~NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS~

As I drove in the dead of night, I couldn't help feeling how weird and unreal it all seemed. Gibbs had always seemed like an unbreakable source. I couldn't even picture him sleeping like a normal human – not when there were cases to be solved and agents to be yelled at. I blinked rapidly, not realizing my eyes had grown watery. Probably just something in my eye. I took a shaky breath and continued down the road. By the time I got to Abby's building, she was standing sadly outside in well used skeleton pajamas, laced combat boots and holding a far too decorative black umbrella.

She scurried into the passenger seat of my car as if it was pouring cats and dogs outside instead of the dead silence of the early morning.

"Hey, Sof. Sorry for c-calling for late." Abby looked pale – paler than usual. Despite having a face of makeup on, I could clearly see the tear trails down her face. Obviously she had waterproof mascara on since her eyes were puffy and red. She noticed my scrutiny and just gave me a small smile. "I just got back from the hospital and couldn't sleep and Tony, McGee and Ziva are busy investigating already, Palmer's…somewhere and I don't know if anyone has told Ducky yet and I just wanted some company that wasn't running around trying to investigate the bombing!" She wrung her hands into her now closed umbrella. "It's good I guess. I just can't bring myself to go to Major Mass Spec while Gibbs is just lying there in a coma, ya now?" Abby's bangs fluttered as she shook her head, staring at the dashboard.

"I just feel so useless but I knew I would just be just as useless in the lab, trying to work the evidence when Gibbs is just in the b-" She sniffed heavily before grabbing me rather violently into a hug. I sighed and rubbed her back. We stayed in comfortable silence for a while.

Finally, Abby pulled away and gave me another smile. "Thanks Sof. That helped."

I nodded, turning on the ignition of my car again. "How about we visit him? I don't see either of us getting sleepy anytime soon…" And I certainly couldn't distract her from his accident.

Abby bobbed her head up and down. "He would like that."

So back to the hospital together we went. The forensic scientist was unnaturally silent which just made my large sense of dread grow. In truth, I felt more like a friend of Gibbs than just his coffee girl. I never realized, however, what a stable part of my life he had become. The thought of him being in a coma made my stomach flip and my mouth dry. I found myself wiping my eyes profusely even as Abby lead me to Gibbs' room, past Trauma One. The first thing I noticed was the slim form of a redheaded female in red lying awkwardly half in a chair and half in Gibbs' bed. But then I saw him.

His nose and forehead were scattered with burns. An ugly tube was stuffed in his mouth and he looked…not very alive. I gulped and hesitated before coming closer. He looked – strangely peaceful. To be honest, Gibbs while conscious usually was agitated, focused or just stony. He did have his burst of humor and such but – his face in a coma had a look of final rest that was comforting as it was mildly disturbing. My hand drifted over his face.

"Do you know who did this?"

Abby shuffled closer. "We have some ideas – based on what Gibbs was doing but nothing too solid yet." She seemed to be watching me rather closely all of a sudden. I pulled my hovering hand away and rubbed my eyes again.

"Do you think he'll be ok?" My voice was very quiet as I asked. I was no science major and all the comas you ever hear about either come out miraculously or never come out at all. Somehow, my mind lingered towards the darker possibility. I refocused on the sleeping woman beside Gibbs and frowned. "Is that…the director?"

I had seen the fiery female director in action a few times since my first run in with her on a coffee run. She was always kind to me but came off rather rude when talking to her own agents, in particular Gibbs' team. Or perhaps I came in at the wrong times. Either way, it was really surprising for me to see her at Gibbs' bedside, of all places.

"Ya, they have a…special relationship." The goth whispered, her eyes agleam with gossip briefly. "History and all." She smiled at the sleeping figure.

I nodded dumbly again, partially still numb from the whole situation. Actually seeing the older agent tied up to machines made Abby's story so real. I could only hope for the best now. So I simply bowed my head when I felt Abby give me a hug from behind.

**AN: Hopefully Abby isn't too OOC - I tried. It's been a while. As you can tell, this is meant to be during the episode "Hiatus Part 1". Thanks for being so patient with my updates and have a great day!**


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